Light, ignition, and starter switch



March 26, 1957 A. ARNEJO 2,786,906

LIGHT, IGNITION AND STARTER SWITCH Filed Julie 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 72 -7 Taxi 23 Ag 76 smm v} /"Q 6 -655 63 0 .9 7 INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 26, 1957 A. ARNEJO 2,786,906

LIGHT, IGNITION AND STARTER SWITCH Filed June 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent LIGHT, IGNITION, AND STARTER SWITCH Anthony Arnejo, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 23, 1955, Serial No. 517,455

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-11) The present invention relates to a light, ignition and starter switch and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a light, ignition and starter switch which is capable of quick and easy assembly upon a dashboard of an automobile or the like. The device includes a casing having an integrally formed front wall which is attachable to the rear wall. of a dashboard. A cover is provided for the casing and forms a back wall therefor. A novel shaft extends through the dashboard and has affixed at its rearward end a novel contact arm which coacts with fixed contact members mounted in the cover or rear wall of the casing. A novel starter switch forms a part of the invention and is provided with a handle which extends through the casing and dashboard for easy operation. The device is compact and capable of rapid assembly, lending itself particularly to assembly line production.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a novel light, ignition and starter switch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which is capable of assembly with a minimum of effort upon the dashboard of an automobile or the like.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novel movable electrical contact member forming a part of the invention.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novel starter switch forming a part of the invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and efficient in use.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading ofthe following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of an embodiment of the invention showing the same mounted in a dashboard of an automobile.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, somewhat enlarged, taken substantially along line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view, partly broken away, of the device illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure-6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 6--6 of Figure 4, and

Figure 7 is a schematic view illustrating an electrical system utilized in the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown therein a dashboard it) having welded, as indicated at 11, to the rear face thereof heads 12 of bolts 13 which extend horizontally rearwardly. A casing is generally indicated at 14 and is provided with top and bottom walls 15 and a front wall 16 integrally formed with the forward end portions of the top and bottom walls 15.

The wall 16 is provided with recesses 17 for the accom modation of the heads 12 and with suitable passageways 18 for the accommodation of the bolts 13 which are provided at their outer ends with washers 19 and nuts 20 whereby the casing 14 is securely fastened to the rear wall of the dashboard 10.

The wall 16 is centrally provided with a circular opening 21 having an enlarged forward portion 22 and a shouldered collar 23 of identical thickness with the wall 16 is fitted into the opening 21 and affixed thereto by means of screws 24.

The collar 23 is provided with a central circular opening 25 through which extends the forward portion of a switch cylinder 26 which is provided with an enlarged portion 27 forming a shoulder 2% which abuts against the rear face of the collar 23. The switch cylinder is operable by means of a key 29 to open and close an electrical circuit and is of conventional design and is therefore not fully described in detail in the present application.

A shaft 30, preferably formed of dielectric material, is provided at its forward end with a pointer 31 and extends revolubly through the switch cylinder and through a forwardly extending dog 32 centrally formed upon a back wall 33 in abutting relationship with the rearward end of the enlarged portion 27 of the switch cylinder. The shaft 30 terminates rearwardly of the wall 33 and is provided with a transverse opening 34. A movable contact arm 35 is affixed to the shaft 30 by means of a wedge 36 which extends into the opening 34 and through an opening (not shown) in a hub 37 formed integrally with the arm 35 and surrounding the shaft 30.

The wall 33 is aflixed to the rearward ends of the side walls 15 by means of screws 38. The casing 14 is also provided with side walls 39 and 40 which are secured in any suitable manner to the front and rear walls. Extending laterally from the front wall 16 and rear wall 33, respectively, are extensions 41 and 42, respectively, which are formed integrally with their respective walls and which are in horizontal registry with each other. A plate 43 is affixed to and extends between the outer portions of the extensions 41 and 42 and is provided with an integrally formed partition member 44. The extension 41 is provided with an opening 55 which is in registry with a similar opening 46 in the dashboard 10 and a knob 47 is provided with a cylindrical shank 48 which extends slidably through the openings 45 and 46. The shank 48 is afiixed by means of a pin 45 to a shaft 50 which extends slidably through an opening 51 in the partition member 44 and has aflixed to its free end a contact plate 52. Bolts 53 and 54 extend through the extension 42 and are provided at their inner ends with heads 55 and 56, respectively, which are adapted to be contacted by the plate 52 when the shaft 50 is moved against the action of the compression spring 57 which surrounds the shaft 5t and bears against the partition member 44 at one of its ends and against the shank 48 at the other of its ends. The outer ends of the bolts 53 and 54 are provided with washers 58 and nuts 59 and a wire 60 is connected at one of its ends to the bolt 53, as indicated in Figure 2, and at its other end to a battery 61, the battery being connected to ground by a wire 62. A wire 63 is connected at one of its ends to the bolt 54 and at its other end to a conventional starter 64. A wire 65 interconnects the starter 64 with the switch cylinder 26 which is, in turn, grounded by a wire 66.

Extending through the outer end portion of the arm 35 is a bolt 67 having a contact head 68 at its inner end and provided at its outer end with a washer 69 and nut by means of which one end of a wire 71 is connected. the other end of the wire 71 being connected to the bolt 54, as indicated in Figures 4 and 7.

A series of fixed contact members 72, 73, 75 and 76 is embedded in the wall 33 in an arcuate path in the wall 33 and in registry with the path of movement of the contact head 68 and each provided upon the inner side of the wall 33 with a nut and washer 77 and 73, respectively, whereby wire 79, in each case ma connect the same respectively to fog lights, bright lights, dim lights and parking lights. The contact 76 is a neutral contact. In the diagrammatic sketch illustrated in Figure 7, i1) dim light is indicated at 8%) but is merely representative of any of the lights referred to. All of the lights are grounded by means of wires 8. in conventional manner.

Formed in the outer face of the wall 33 in an arcuate path concentric with the arcuate path in which the contacts 72 to 76 lie, is a series of partially spherical indentations 80, 81, 82, 83 and 84, the same being in radial registry, respectively, with the contacts 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76. A smaller but similarly formed indentation 85 is positioned between the indentations 30 and 81.

A housing 86 is formed integrally with the outer side of the arm 35 and a circular opening 87 extends through the arm 35 to the interior of the housing 86. A cylindrical dog 88 is slidably mounted in the opening 87 and is provided at its outer end with a rounded head 89. A compression spring 90 is mounted in the housing 86 and bears against the inner end of the member 88. The rounded head 89 is so positioned that its path of movement is identical with the path of the arc in which the indentations are located so that the spring 9!) normally turns to force the head 89 into one of the indentations.

In operation, it will be apparent that the rear face of the dashboard It) may have first welded to it the heads 12 of the bolts 13. The device forming the present invention may be easily and quickly assembled by first attaching the rear wall 33 to the casing 14 and thereafter inserting the shaft 39 through the dog 32 whereupon the collar 23 may be fastened into position by the screws 24. The arm 35 may then be connected to the shaft 3t) by means of the wedge 36 and a cover 91 may be affixed to the outer face of the wall 33 by means of the bolts 38 and additional bolts 92, it being understood that the cover 91 encompasses the arm 35 and its associated parts. The entire device may then be attachd to the dashboard by means of the nuts 20, as will be readily apparent from Figures 2 and 3, the necessary wiring having first been taken care of.

In use, it will be apparent that by means of the key 29 and switch cylinder 27, the electrical circuit illustrated in Figure 7 may be put in condition for operation. With the device in this condition, when it is desired to start the motor of the vehicle in which the present device is installed, it is only necessary to press inwardly upon the knob 47 thereby bringing the contact plate 52 into contact with the heads of the bolts 53 and 54 thereby completing an electrical circuit which includes the starter 64. Release of pressure upon the button 4-7 will allow the spring 57 to move the same outwardly thus breaking the circuit to the starter 64. By turning the handle 31 to selected positions which may be marked upon the outer face of either the dashboard 19 or the cylinder 25, it

would be apparent that the shaft 30 will likewise be moved and that this will cause a rotation of the arm 35 so that the contact plate 68 may be brought into selective contact with the contact members 73 to 76, inclusive. When such movement occurs, it will also be apparent that when particular position has been selected, it will be maintained by the rounded head 89 being positioned in a corresponding indentation St"; to 34, inclusive. in this connection, when it is desired to maintain the contact plate in physica contact with the fixed contact members 72 and 73 simultaneously, the arm 35 is brought into a position where the rounded head 89 may enter the indentation 85, thus providing a means whereby electrical circuits are closed to both the fog lights and bright lights, it being apparent that the plate 58 is of ith to contact two of the members 72 to 76, we, but of not too great width to make such dual contact when the arm 35 is properly positioned to make single contact, it being apparent agi'n that the larger indentations are so positioned as to mai ..ain such selected positions of the arm 35.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with an automobile dashboard having an opening therethrough, a casing, means for attaching said casing to the front face of said dashboard with respect to said automobile, a shaft extending through said casing and said opening in the dashboard, a handle afiixed to the rearward end of said shaft with respect to said automobile, adjacent the rear face of said dashboard, a contact arm afiixed radially upon the forward end of said shaft, a plurality of fixed contact members mounted in the forward face of said casing in an arcuate path concentric with said shaft, a movable contact member fixed in the outer end portion of said arm and adapted to selectively contact said fixed contact members, and means for latching said arm in pre-selected positions, said forward face of said casing having a plurality of indentations formed in an arcuate path inwardly of said fixed contact members and likewise concentric with said shaft, each of said indentations being located radially inwardly of one of said fixed contact members, said last-named means comprising an enlarged portion in said arm, a cylindrical dog slidably mounted in said enlarged portion and having a rounded head at its outer end engagcable in said indentations, and a spring in said enlarged portion adapted to urge said head into such engagement, said forward face of said casing having an additional relatively smaller indentation formed therein between two of said firstmentioned indentations, whereby when said head is engaged therein the movable contact member may contact two adjacent fixed contact members.

2. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with an automobile dashboard having an opening therethrough, a casing, means for attaching said casing to the front face of said dashboard with respect to said automobile, a shaft extending through said casing and said opening in the dashboard, a handle afiixed to the rearward end of said shaft with respect to said automobile adjacent the rear face of said dashboard, a contact arm afiixed radially upon the forward end of said shaft, a plurality of fixed contact members mounted in the forward face of said casing in an arcuate path concentric with said shaft, a movable contact member fixed in the outer end portion of said arm and adapted to selectively contact said fixed contact members, and means for latching said arm in preselected positions, said casing having a rear wall provided with a circular opening therein, said opening having an enlarged rearward portion, a shouldered collar of identical thickness with said rear References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Papin June 11, 1901 Tomschik June 8, 1909 Bissell Jan. 28, 1913 Zeisel May 1, 1917 Klish Dec. 21, 1926 Whiteside July 16, 1935 Davis June 25, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 3, 1949 

